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Angawatu
The Angawatu or "sky-people" in Classical Kikale are a nomadic group, and have lived this way for centuries. Their contact with most other humans is sparse and limited, and indeed the name 'Angawatu' is just what outsiders call them. In Kiangawatu they call themselves "Nayabogo" which some say means "the first ones" or "the ones who know" however it most likely means nothing in particular. History The Angawatu are closely tied to the Angamti flying tree, so closely in fact that they have become on people, in a sense. This symbiotic relationship began centuries before the Mfecane. Legends tell that the ancestors of the Angawatu were a small clan forced into exile, coming upon a grove of the Angamti. At first competing with them, conflict turned to cooperation as the desert advanced and threatened to turn the forest into an oasis. Together, the trees and humans formed what is now called the "Pact of Blood" and grew closer together, escaping the advancing desert and taking to the skies. Of course, this is all just legend - the true origins of the Angawatu people are unknown, as few outsiders have spoken to one let alone chronicled them in any great detail. Pact of Blood While its exact origins may be clouded in myth, it is clear to most what the benefits of the pact are. The flying tree provides fruit, shelter, and ease of travel for the humans, plus safety from rival clans and the wild beasts and hostile magic of the ground. In exchange, humans maintain the tree's health (its capability to fly is exhausting and limited, and greatly helped by the presence of humans' blood), get rid of parasites, protect the tree against other humans, and help the tree to navigate while flying, something they cannot do on their own. The Pact of Blood can be interpreted as making every single Angawatu a Shaman, without the drawbacks this can have in other humans (such as deafness or severe paranoia). Culture and way of life Nomadic lifestyle and hunting The Angawatu are usually on the move, following the flocks of Yavu that migrate each season to spawn and hunt. Thus, they are usually flying, living inside and around the spacious hollow trunks of their family tree. Some Angawatu travel with just their immediate family group, occasionally rendezvousing with extended relatives, however most travel in close proximity to their clan or tribe. "Wayfinders" sense the essence of the yavu and steer the tree by means of a "carrot-on-a-stick" method, giving waypoints to follow. Various techniques exist to hunt the yavu, however it is easiest with other families nearby to cooperate, herding them into tight formations and clusters to easily get caught in magic nets that are resistant to the yavu's stingers. However, multiple families cooperating in this endeavor cannot always be expected, so most rely on sticky "harpoons" to target individual yavu. Bait is sometimes used as well. Festivals To avoid inbreeding (as Angawatu travel in family units), allow for trade and cooperation on mutual concerns, among other things, all clans of the Angawatu agree on a specific place to meet and have a festival. These are "sacred" places, kept secret from outsiders and alternating regularly. If for whatever reason the location of the festival must change, diviners are usually used to communicate the message to all clans, if possible. This festival is an important part of Angawatu life. Although held somewhat rarely, perhaps even just once a decade, it defines every intricacy of their society. Several things are done at the festival. For the most part, the festival benefits the human side of the Pact the most, as spirits are not very social creatures. However it is still beneficial for the trees to interact with each other, though they do this in ways unknown to humans and of course intercommunication between the trees and humans is rather difficult - though the Angawatu, having spent generations living in a tight relationship with their trees, are much better at reading these divinations than other humans are. Rest The festivals serve as a welcome relief from the monotony (and danger) of hunting and traveling with the same people for years on end. Humans get to relax and meet new people, while the trees get to sink their roots in the ground for a while, recuperate their magic and their water supply. Trade Trade not just of materials, but also knowledge, such as warning others of unsafe areas, depleted yavu flocks, and so on. The most commonly traded goods are clothing, comet shards (though these are even more valuable to trade with sedentary folk), trinkets and tools bought from those sedentary folk, and sometimes food. Most transactions are barter trades, as the Angawatu do not have currency. Marriage and growth Most people find their wife/husband during these festivals, as it is the easiest way for Angawatu to meet people outside their family. New human clans often are founded during these times, and new angamti are planted and nurtured. Typically, the women are the ones who choose their partner. As women are not considered property, there is no dowry to be paid - if the couple likes each other after courting, they can marry. Women are also allowed to appeal for divorce, although it is rare. In addition, the Angawatu are not completely monogamous, and during the festival many married couples go their separate ways to have new partners for a time. This is considered normal. It is estimated that there are 1500 Angawatu families in total. Settle disputes The Pact of Blood entails that no angamti would be willing to help humans do things to cause harm to another angamti (such as part of a war). Although the Angawatu often have disputes over hunting grounds, which are the only reason their society may have to go to war with itself, violence is always avoided in favor of diplomacy during the festival. New hunting grounds are drawn and agreed upon in talks that can take days to negotiate. If, for whatever reason, the settlement is broken during the next hunting season, appeals are made before the most influential elders of each clan, who decide the victor. If the settlement is ignored once again without justifiable reason, the offending family may be punished with exile - the most severe punishment possible, as the family's angamti will stay with the clans (spirits are of course not subject to human laws and agreements, and since they cannot navigate on their own, the fault lies with its human family anyway.) This means exiled Angawatu must find a way to survive without their tree. This is obviously very difficult - in fact exile is more or less just a euphemism for the death penalty. Exile is considered obscene to discuss in public for many reasons, perhaps not least of which is the Angawatu's own history. Elect leaders During times of extreme crisis, such as during the Mfecane, or during a severe dwindling of yavu herds or the sudden loss of many families (elders take attendance at the beginning of each festival), the Angawatu may decide to appoint a single leader. During the festival each potential candidate runs their campaign, appealing to the families, before being seated in front of all Angawatu and making a speech to explain why they would be the best for the position. The selection process for the candidates is extremely rigorous, moving in several stages. This is largely because the elections only take place in the most dire circumstances and such are exceedingly rare. The first stage is that each clan would appoint someone to represent them, this is usually the eldest woman in the clan, but can be another elder, or sometimes a male representative. The representatives then have their own election among themselves to decide who is best suited for the role of "yebeo" - the 'chooser'. Finally, the chooser makes a list of each eligible (defined by age, their role, and what the emergency is) candidate and holds long interviews with their family and friends to learn if they are right for the job. If they do well in these interviews, they are presented before the other elders. If the other elders like them, they are then presented to an assembly of citizens. The citizens debate him or her, and if the citizens like them, they move on to the next stage, where they must prove their superiority to other candidates by campaigning during the festival. Whoever wins ascends to a high status - suddenly considered something above human, indeed the primary link between the Angawatu and the Angamti. While aiming to find the person most qualified for the job, obviously there are flaws in this process, and often it is the most impressive or charismatic person who wins, or the one with the most friends. However, any person at any time can be impeached by popular demand. These elections have taken place only four times in all of Angawatu history. Harvesting Angawatu do not spend much time on the ground, so the festival becomes an opportunity to harvest resources which are rare among them. This is especially an opportunity to gorge on ridiculous amounts of novel food. Angawatu festivals in particular tend to be near coasts, so they may take their pick of the sea's bounty. Sometimes, agricultural products may be gathered from wildflowers and such, but this can be dangerous as the Angawatu have little knowledge of herbal lore. Funerals The only dignified way to die in Angawatu culture is to be buried with the saplings of Angamti trees, so while the next generation of these trees is planted, the previous generations' dead humans are buried in the same area. This helps the tree to grow up healthy, of course. The funeral ceremony is simplistic. Gender roles The Angawatu, if it wasn't clear already, are a matrilineal society, meaning that someone is part of the mother's family when they are born. Women in many ways hold dominating roles in Angawatu society, largely as they are considered encharged with family matters (which for the Angawatu, is everything) although they are not consciously aware of this inequality in power. There are technically no restrictions on what men can do, and men can hold a lot of influence, but most often women end up in the most influential positions by happenstance. Clothing For the Angawatu, most clothes are made out of yavu leather, as it is the only source of clothing there is, since they are not on the ground long enough to grow cotton or flax or harvest wool (though they will often trade for these things from settled cultures) and do not bring animals along with them. While most people wear yavu leather, the wealthiest Angawatu may choose to wear clothing bartered from sedentary peoples, like the aforementioned wool. Among the Angawatu these clothes are seen as high status and symbols of wealth and power, much like purple silken robes among other humans. Cuisine The Angawatu diet consists mostly of Angamti fruit, which also makes up for most of the water they drink (as the trees condense moisture into these coconut-like fruits throughout the long journey) though rainwater and dew is also used. The fruit is the 'everyday' sort of food, joined in this role by yavu meat, which is an important part of the diet as well. During festivals however, more variety is sought out for the feasting, and can include hunted game and seafood of all types. Angawatu also eat the clam-like parasites which latch onto their trees while flying. These are typically boiled into soups and stews. Interaction with other humans Other human cultures, those who have settled in cities shielded by wardstones and the like, are generally seen as very dangerous, however acknowledged as lucrative trade partners. Occasionally, other humans will be seen near yavu hunting grounds, either purposefully to engage in trade with the Angawatu, or to hunt the yavu themselves. As other humans are not part of the Pact, they can be responded to with hostility, and some Angawatu families have occasionally chosen to attack the intruders if they disrupt the hunt (in thin times, it may even be required to do so). Settled peoples tend to highly value comet shards, and occasionally yavu leather, something which Angawatu can more easily find and harvest thanks to their ability to fly. In turn, the Angawatu value metal tools and clothing, mostly as status symbols as metal tools do not have much practical use in their society. If something more practical is sought however, technology may be traded for, especially things that might aid in the hunting of yavu. Medicine is also highly sought after, the Angawatu may even initiate trade for the sole purpose of finding a skilled doctor. Exiles Exiled Angawatu rarely survive the ordeal of being separated from their trees, the hostile environment of the desert or the jungle, and the culture shock of living in cities and being surrounded by strangers who do not speak their language. The few who manage to survive however tend to either learn a trade and live in complete seclusion, or they may have wanderlust and be restless, constantly traveling, perhaps in search of their kin. More rarely, some may work as yavu hunters, yavu leather tanners, or even mercenaries. "Civilized" societies generally assume that if the Angawatu exile someone, they have good reason to, and can be very distrustful of the exiles, perhaps keeping them closely watched if possible.